Dr. Thomas Karl Velleff, MD

This is the only doctor in my life who has taken the time to read my entire medical history. He listens to what I have to say and he really cares about my well being. I would recommend him to anyone.

Nurse Sues Doctor, Accusing Him Of Squeezing Her Neck May 24, 1996|By Purvette A. Bryant of The Sentinel Staff DELAND — A Volusia Medical Center nurse has sued a doctor at the hospital, accusing him of squeezing her neck and shaking her while they were on duty because she defied an order. Dr. Thomas Velleff accosted Carma Householder after he asked her to order a special bed earlier this year, a Volusia County sheriff's report stated. When she told him she needed to clear the request with hospital administrators, Velleff grabbed her by the neck, began shaking her and stated, ''Just get the bed'' and walked away, the sheriff's report said. Householder, 35, of Orange City is seeking more than $15,000 in damages through a lawsuit filed Thursday in Volusia Circuit Court. The registered nurse, and her attorney, Phillip Sigman of Altamonte Springs, declined comment Thursday. Velleff's attorney, Donald Weidner of Jacksonville, said Thursday he hadn't seen the lawsuit.… The allegations against Velleff are false, Weidner said. ''It's clear she's only interested in trying to obtain a payment from Dr. Velleff,'' Weidner said. ''She threatened to file a lawsuit if he didn't settle. We will pursue counterdamages against her and her attorney.'' Roy Reid, a spokesman for Volusia Medical Center, said Thursday that hospital officials can't comment on the matter. When the incident occurred Jan. 20, Householder didn't suffer injuries and didn't want to prosecute at that time, a sheriff's report stated. She told officers that Velleff didn't attempt to choke her, ''but she felt he was attempting to intimidate her so that she would bypass the administration and order the bed,'' the report stated. Velleff, who practices in Orange City, acted with malice and his actions were ''both shocking and outrageous,'' according to claims in the lawsuit filed Thursday. He intended to cause emotional distress and grabbed her neck as an ''expression of his anger,'' the suit stated. As a result, Householder suffered physical pain, mental pain and suffering, emotional distress, humiliation and shame, the suit stated.

Awesome, caring, understanding and willing to spend time with you.

Dr. V remains to this day one of the best physicians I have ever seen in my long medical history of seeing many, many doctors. He listens, he cares, he knows his stuff, and he tells you straight-up facts. I trust him completely. It's just a shame he moved too far for me to continue to see!

Excellente doctor, muy interesado en mi caso, muy intellingente, compasivo, dado completamente al paciente,

A great Doctor !! I highly recommend him.

Dr Velleff is the best doctor I've ever been to!